Delivering on net zero: Scottish Agriculture

The aim of this study was to identify whether, how and at what cost agricultural GHG emissions in Scotland could be reduced by 35% by 2045. In 2017, Scottish agricultural GHG emissions were estimated to be 7.6 Mt CO2e making the 35% target 2.7 Mt CO2e. Building on previous work by SRUC and others, 37 different measures to reduce GHG emissions were evaluated, focusing on improvements in nitrogen fertiliser use, organic manure/slurry storage and use, mechanisation, soil management, cropping systems and management, livestock nutrition, health and breeding, as well as improved farming systems integrating multiple measures, represented by conservation agriculture, organic farming, pasture-fed livestock production and agroforestry. Land use changes, such as from agriculture to peatland or forestry, as well as non-agricultural activities (including input manufacturing, food processing, retailing and consumption) were outside the scope of the study, although consideration was given to food losses on farms arising from decisions in other sectors. Embodied GHG emissions in inputs and impacts of output changes on other countries were also not assessed. In theory, if taken up 100% and accounting for no interactions, the measures could reduce Scottish agricultural emissions by almost 100%. In practice, there are many reasons why measures might not be implemented in combination, or adopted, by all farmers. We estimated that the most promising measures could potentially deliver 2.9 Mt CO2e annually, or 38% of 2017 GHG emissions, and concluded that the 35% target is achievable by 2045. 75% of Scottish agricultural GHG emissions are related to livestock production. This is not surprising given the importance of grassland and rough grazing in Scottish agriculture, which together account for almost 80% of agricultural land. Given this context, measures focused on tillage crops are relatively unimportant with respect to their potential for GHG reduction. The measures with most potential (all specified on annual basis) that we identified were: a) Reduction in nitrogen fertiliser use. Measures to use nitrogen more efficiently, including better use of organic manures, could potentially generate reductions of nearly 350 kt CO2e, or 13% of the target, within the next 10 years, if adopted on most farms. b) More radical reductions in nitrogen fertiliser use, by encouraging the use of legumes in grassland to eliminate or substantially reduce the need for N fertiliser, could reduce emissions by nearly 300 kt CO2e, or 11% of the target, within the next 15 years, if adopted on 40% of grassland. c) The use of legumes combined with rotational grazing techniques in diverse-species grassland, which help build soil organic matter and sequester carbon, could increase the total benefit to 540 kt or 20% of the target. This could potentially be linked with a pasture-fed livestock approach. d) Reducing methane emissions associated with ruminants by using feed additives including 3NOP, nitrates, probiotics, high dietary fat sources and seaweed derivatives could make a significant contribution. In the case of 3NOP, emissions could be reduced by 265 kt or 10% of the target within 10 years, if adopted on most dairy and some other cattle farms. This would require approval of 3NOP as a feed additive so that it can be marketed, and that at an affordable price. e) Improved animal health and breeding, with increased fertility, growth rates and yields, and reduced morbidity/mortality could reduce total livestock numbers needed to deliver the same output, and deliver 366 kt emission reductions (14% of the target) with 40-50% uptake. f) Organic farming, with 40% uptake, could potentially deliver 730 kt CO2e reductions or 27% of the target. This is a result of combining no synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use with an overall 10% reduction in livestock numbers and the conversion of 20% of tillage land to rotational grassland. The financial impacts of these changes are reduced due to the premium markets for organic food. g) Agroforestry also offers potential for substantial reductions: 570 kt (21% of the target) with 30% uptake. This is assuming 10% of farmland is used for trees, with consequent output reductions for crops and livestock, although with some scope to mitigate this. Despite their emission reduction potential, organic farming and agroforestry both have the disadvantages of higher initial investment costs, greater complexity acting as a disincentive to adoption and longer lead-in times, as well as output reductions that, if demand remains unchanged, could lead to an increased requirement for imports and increased emissions elsewhere. However, the widespread adoption of these approaches would need to be considered in the context of changing human and animal diets, and the potential for reducing food losses and waste also highlighted in the report. The financial assessment of these measures indicates that many are likely to be associated with increased costs and, in the absence of other financial benefits, reduced incomes, which would need to be addressed by policy support in some form. In several cases, reductions in nitrate leaching, ammonia emissions and other impacts leading to improvements in water and air quality could provide further justifications for support. In some cases, the improved productivity, for example associated with improved animal health and breeding, could create a win-win situation, with emissions reduction combined with financial benefits. As most of the measures are unlikely to be driven by market forces, policy interventions are likely to be needed, including: • Farming system payments for innovative approaches (whole or part farm) • Input reduction and improved soil management, including support for advice and investments • Regulatory and fiscal options including input taxes and quotas or tradeable carbon quotas linked to input use and sequestration opportunties • Carbon, nitrogen and sustainability auditing • Training, advice and skills • Improved greenhouse gas monitoring and statistics • Targeted research, and • Dietary change and food waste reduction In almost all cases, the practices and systems that could be adopted are well developed and understood, but actions are needed to ensure that financial and knowledge barriers are addressed in order to facilitate their adoption so that the desired GHG mitigation targets can be achieved

The evaluation and validation of cell-mediated immunological responses for the improved detection of Mycobacterium bovis infection in African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer)

Biomedical Sciences: Molecular Biology and Human Genetic

First Molecular Evidence for Underestimated Biodiversity of Rhachotropis (Crustacea, Amphipoda), with Description of a New Species

The crustacean genus Rhachotropis has a worldwide distribution and amongst the largest bathymetric range known from any amphipod genus. DNA barcoding of new material from around New Zealand and the Ross Sea indicated depth-related biogeographic patterns. New Zealand Rhachotropis do not form a monophyletic clade. Species from bathyal depths on the Chatham Rise, east of New Zealand, show lower sequence divergence to bathyal species from California and the Arctic than to abyssal New Zealand species. Species sampled in the Kermadec Trench, north of New Zealand below 5000 m, seem to be more closely related to Ross Sea abyssal species than to the New Zealand shelf species. The worldwide geographic and bathymetric distribution for all Rhachotropis species is presented here. Depth may have a greater influence on phylogeny than geographic distance. Molecular and morphological investigations of Rhachotropis specimens from the Chatham Rise, New Zealand revealed a species new to science which is described in detail, including scanning electron microscopy. This increases the number of described species of Rhachotropis to 60 worldwide

Energy poverty policies: reviewing the policy design

Energy poverty is a complex, multidimensional and context-based challenge. Thus, policy approaches need to be comprehensive and coherent with the other public policies. To achieve this, multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder bodies, dedicated to designing energy poverty policies and measures, should be established at the national and local levels in particular. In parallel, the adverse impacts of various other policies (fiscal, labour, climate, housing, energy, etc.) on energy poverty need to be assessed and steps taken to minimize or eliminate them. Critically, energy poverty policies must be designed through participatory processes, involving the people affected.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Gene therapy with Angiotensin-(1-9) preserves left ventricular systolic function after myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin-(1-9) [Ang-(1-9)] is a novel peptide of the counter-regulatory axis of the renin angiotensin system previously demonstrated to have therapeutic potential in hypertensive cardiomyopathy when administered via osmotic minipump in mice. Here, we investigate whether gene transfer of Ang-(1-9) is cardioprotective in a murine model of myocardial infarction (MI). OBJECTIVES: To evaluate effects of Ang-(1-9) gene therapy on myocardial structural and functional remodeling post infarction. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice underwent permanent left anterior descending coronary artery ligation and cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography for 8 weeks followed by a terminal measurement of left ventricular (LV) pressure-volume loops. Ang-(1-9) was delivered by adeno-associated viral vector via single tail vein injection immediately following induction of MI. Direct effects of Ang-(1-9) on cardiomyocyte excitation–contraction coupling and cardiac contraction were evaluated in isolated mouse and human cardiomyocytes and in an ex vivo Langendorff perfused whole heart model. RESULTS: Gene delivery of Ang-(1-9) significantly reduced sudden cardiac death post-MI. Pressure–volume measurements revealed complete restoration of end systolic pressure, ejection fraction, end systolic volume and the end diastolic pressure–volume relationship by Ang-(1-9) treatment. Stroke volume and cardiac output were significantly increased versus sham. Histological analysis revealed only mild effects on cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, but a significant increase in scar thickness. Direct assessment of Ang-(1-9) on isolated cardiomyocytes demonstrated a positive inotropic effect via increasing calcium transient amplitude and increasing contractility. Ang-(1-9) increased contraction in the Langendorff model through a protein kinase A-dependent mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: Our novel findings show that Ang-(1-9) gene therapy preserves LV systolic function post-MI, restoring cardiac function. Furthermore, Ang-(1-9) has a direct effect on cardiomyocyte 3 calcium handling through a protein kinase A-dependent mechanism. These data highlight Ang-(1-9) gene therapy as a potential new strategy in the context of MI

Building community resilience in a context of climate change : The role of social capital

Acknowledgements This research was funded by the UK Research and INNOVATION Economic and Social Research Council award number ES/J500136/1.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Nonequilibrium and Nonlinear Dynamics in Geomaterials I : The Low Strain Regime

Members of a wide class of geomaterials are known to display complex and fascinating nonlinear and nonequilibrium dynamical behaviors over a wide range of bulk strains, down to surprisingly low values, e.g., 10^{-7}. In this paper we investigate two sandstones, Berea and Fontainebleau, and characterize their behavior under the influence of very small external forces via carefully controlled resonant bar experiments. By reducing environmental effects due to temperature and humidity variations, we are able to systematically and reproducibly study dynamical behavior at strains as low as 10^{-9}. Our study establishes the existence of two strain thresholds, the first, epsilon_L, below which the material is essentially linear, and the second, epsilon_M, below which the material is nonlinear but where quasiequilibrium thermodynamics still applies as evidenced by the success of Landau theory and a simple macroscopic description based on the Duffing oscillator. At strains above epsilon_M the behavior becomes truly nonequilibrium -- as demonstrated by the existence of material conditioning -- and Landau theory no longer applies. The main focus of this paper is the study of the region below the second threshold, but we also comment on how our work clarifies and resolves previous experimental conflicts, as well as suggest new directions of research.Comment: 14 pages, 15 figure

Lehrveranstaltungen in Baudynamik und Erdbebeningenieurwesen an der EPFL

Baudynamik und Erdbebeningenieurwesen sind im Lehrplan des Bauingenieurwesens an der EPFL gut verankert. Baudynamik ist eine von nur fünf Pflichtveranstaltungen im Masterstudiengang und der Vorlesung muss daher von allen Studenten besucht und bestanden werden. Die Grundlagen der Erdbebenbemessung und –beurteilung von Gebäuden werden im Wahlfach „Seismic engineering“ vermittelt, welches im ersten Jahr des Masterstudiengangs angeboten wird. Seit dem vergangenen Jahr wird das Angebot in diesem Themenbereich von zwei weiteren Lehrveranstaltungen ergänzt: Die Vorlesung „Advanced steel design“ behandelt die Erdbebenbemessung von Stahlgebäuden und die Vorlesung „Nonlinear analysis of structures“ gibt eine grundlegende Einführung in die nichtlineare Berechnung von Gebäuden unter Erdbebeneinwirkung. Dieser Beitrag fasst die Zielsetzungen und Methoden der verschiedenen Vorlesungen kurz zusammen und zeigt einige der Modelle, die verwendet werden, um gewisse Grundprinzipien zu erläutern. Weiter wird auf Semester- und Masterarbeiten eingegangen, die im Bereich Baudynamik und Erdbebeningenieurwesen angeboten werden und ein integraler Teil der Ausbildung sind. Der Artikel schliesst mit einem kurzen Überblick über das Weiterbildungsangebot in der Schweiz in diesem Bereich